Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 25 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 25
I believe the Hybrid Propulsion System in my kia optima hybrid should have been part of the recall. The vehicle is currently showing signs of the vehicle's Voltage Protection Device activating inadvertently, causing a sudden loss of power. Vehicle is currently with an authorized dealership being tested.
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, there was an abnormal amount of smoke coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that DTC: P1326 was displayed on the instrument panel, with the message, “For Your Safety – Please Pull Over” displayed. The contact pulled over and opened the hood and there was a green liquid sizzling on the heat on top of the engine. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was inspected; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the upper radiator hose had melted, and that the battery was an OEM part. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
The contact’s son owns a 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the vehicle started leaking oil. The vehicle was not taken to a mechanic or the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but failed to accelerate as intended or change gear as intended. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed that the triaxle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V844000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH the "Hybrid" warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that while driving in a rainstorm, the windshield wipers failed, and the contact pulled over. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal functionality; however, the "Hybrid" warning light remained illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed that the main propulsion battery needed to be replaced; however, the parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle could no longer be started. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The Hybrid Warning light came on. This was the third time this has happened. The first time Kia said it was the Air Box and I paid $600 to repair. The second time the shop mistakenly cleared the codes before determining the cause. The third time they say it is the Wiring Harness and will cost $4,550 to report if they have the harness. This vehicle has recall for the connecting rod in the engine which I suspect is the real issue due to clicking noise it makes just before the lights come on, but each time I take it in I am told it is something else. Since it is the Wiring Harness this time it could be a fire hazard especiall on a Hybrid with Lithium batteries, I am not going to repair it as it has left me on the road too many times and I am sure it has the connecting rod issue. I hope nobody else has this issue and unfortunately Kia does not seem interested in repairing it, it was in the shop for 6 weeks before they diagnosed it.
Vehicle Hybrid system wanring light has come on 3 times since January 2024. Kia has not been able to resolve the issue and just reset the system.
I was driving in morning traffic at 65MPH when the warning lights went flashing stating the HEV Electric engine was shutting down, I was crawling to 20 MPH. I had the car towed to a Kia dealer and was told the electric engine was fine, the gas engine oil was bone dry! NO LOW OIL light ever triggered! Not a single warning. Just out of the blue! This is wrong on so many levels! I get oil changes when they are due and use top synthetic oil. The dealer is reporting it to Kia and said at 87,500 miles I'm under the extended warranty, but Kia will tell them how to handle the issue. I cannot afford a new engine! This is the second Kia I had this problem! They said it passed the bearing test, so why is my engine bone dry? This is dangerous to be driving at high speed and have your car drop speed to 20MPH, then drop to 10MPH. I'm still waiting for Kia to get back to me, the dealer says it takes 48 business hours. I dropped it off Thursday 1/11/2024, Hopefully, tomorrow I will find out. I cannot afford a new car and I still have a balance on this car. I've read multiple complaints on this sight, all the same.
Hev is not working happened 2 two times already
While driving my car started to decelerate in the middle of the freeway and I was in no position to pull over. The hybrid battery nearly completely drained before I was able to limp off the freeway. My car threw an error message to “Check Hybrid system” and told me to pull over immediately and turn the car off. After pulling over, turning the car off, then turning it back on, the message went away but the check engine light remained. After 24 hours the check engine light disappeared until it would randomly do the same thing all over again. I ran an OBD code reader on it and it gave me P2600. After extensive research, I’ve noticed a lot of Hyundais and Kia’s around the same year as mine having the same issue with some peoples vehicle completely dying. Many threads take their vehicle into the dealership and they can’t replicate the problem so they’re just sent on their way for the dangerous problem to happen again at any given time. This is a dangerous situation because you don’t get any warning or strange engine noise to warn you. The car just pops up this message and the engine immediately starts to malfunction.
I am a service provider. On 9/15/2022, a customer, who owns the vehicle with attached VIN, came for an oil change in his 2017 Kia Optima. On 11/11/2022, after nearly 2 months and 2,964 miles, the customer and vehicle owner called to tell us his car was broken down on the side of the road. Upon inspection, it was found that the oil drain plug had fallen out of the vehicle after nearly 3,000 miles. As a result, there is engine failure on the vehicle. Due to the mileage, we went to Kia West Broad in Richmond, VA to ask for their opinion. They were unwilling to assist the customer. I believe this falls in line with the current investigation from the NHTSA into Kia drain pan assemblies and drain plug issues. I have repeatedly been hung up on by Kia when asking them questions surrounding their willingness to assist this customer who is without transportation. Each time that I ask about the investigation, I am put on hold and then hung up on.
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera would activate however, the display screen failed to display the current image behind the vehicle. Instead, the screen would display the previous image displayed when the vehicle was previously parked. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed but no issues were found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
The contact owned a 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that while her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, a smoke odor was detected. Another driver alerted the contact's mother that there was a fire coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact's mother pulled over and exited the vehicle. There were flames coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle, and within seconds, the vehicle was engulfed in flames. No injury was sustained and no medical treatment was received. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A fire department report was filed. The vehicle did not have insurance and remained on the side of the road, where it caught fire. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V844000 (Engine) associated with the VIN; however, the contact did not receive the recall notification. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO PROVIDE ILLUMINATION FARTHER THAN 30 FEET AHEAD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KIA OF FARGO (3901 2ND AVE S, FARGO, ND 58103, (701) 281-9165) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HEADLAMPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 9,000. *DT, Consumer Started with attachment photo *TP
TL* THE CONTACT AND HIS DAUGHTER LEASED A 2017 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE PARKING BRAKE WOULD ACTIVE INDEPENDENTLY AS THE PARKING BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WOULD SIMULTANEOUSLY APPEAR ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE PARKING BRAKE HAD ACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY AS THE CHECK HYBRID WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. DUE TO THE PARKING BRAKE ACTIVATION, SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AS THE REAR TIRES BEGAN TO LOCK. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SKID SIDEWAYS AND THE CONTACT ALSO LOST CONTROL OF THE POWER STEERING.THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE.AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE HIT A GUARD RAIL WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FLIP APPROXIMATELY SIX TIMES AND ULTIMATELY LANDED IN A WOODED AREA. THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS INITIALLY TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE, ONCE SHE WAS REMOVED BY PARAMEDICS, SHE WAS TREATED AT THE SCENE FOR MINOR BRUISES AND BURNS IN AN AMBULANCE. SHE DID NOT SEEK FURTHER MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AFTER THE ACCIDENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT TOW YARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000.
MY VEHICLE HAS HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH ITS HYBRID BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SINCE PURCHASE. IT HAS BEEN TOWED 4 TIMES. WHILE DRIVING MY CAR WILL START TO JERK AND A WARNING SYSTEM TELLING ME THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (BMS) AND THE POWER TRAIN. IT WILL TELL ME TO PULL OVER OR TO CONTACT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THIS CAR HAS HAD ITS BATTERY REPLACED AND SOFTWARE UPGRADED NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT I KEEP HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I'M CONCERNED THE BATTERY SYSTEM IS FAULTY AND IT'S DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT THIS POINT, AS NOTHING PRECEEDS THE ISSUES - THEY HAPPEN OUT OF NOWHERE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION, THE VOLTAGE INDICATOR SWITCHED FROM NORMAL VOLTAGE TO HIGH VOLTAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER ELK GROVE KIA LOCATED AT (8480 LAGUNA GROVE DR, ELK GROVE CA) WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 18V161000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
BRAKE LINE HAS AIR IN IT FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A MATTER OF A FEW MONTHS, FIRST TIME IT TOOK KIA DEALERSHIP 4 DAYS TO REPAIR. THIS CURRENT TIME IT SHOULD TAKE 2 DAYS. WHEN BRAKING HARD AT A SLOW OR HIGH SPEED, THERE IS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM BRAKE AREA. S
MY CAR WILL NOT TURN COMPLETELY OFF! I WAS DRIVING IF THE FREEWAY AND HIT AN OBJECT, NOT SURE WHAT. WHEN I GOT HOME I COULDN'T TURN MY CAR OFF COMPLETELY. THE CAR THINK THAT IT'S OFF BUT THE ENGINE STILL REVS.
DRIVING AND THE DASHBOARD SAID TURN CAR OFF. HAD TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID $8500 FOR A NEW ENGINE...SAID THE OIL DRAIN BOLT WAS LAYING OF TOP OF THE SPLASH SHIELD AND NO OIL LEFT IN THE ENGINE, THEY WANTED TO KNOW IF SOMEONE WAS AFTER US...WHAT THE HECK. FOUGHT WITH THEM FOR 2 MONTHS.
HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC OR SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH, ENGINE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON STATING HYBRID ENGINE MALFUNCTION TURN OFF IMMEDIATELY. IF I DON'T GET TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY, I LOSE POWER UNTIL I DO. WHEN I HAVE MY PHONE ATTACHED TO THE CARPORT PROGRAM, IT REGISTERS THAT THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND WILL BEEP UNTIL I PUT THE SEAT BELT IN THE RECEPTACLE AS IF SOMEONE WAS THERE. THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE I FIRST BOUGHT IT AND I HAVE ABOUT 5,000. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY CLAIM THAT THEY CAN'T REPLICATE EITHER ISSUE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A TREND. THEY ARE NOW SENDING OUT AN "EXPERT" TO FIX THE PROBLEM. OTHERWISE I'M LEMON LAWING IT. I HAVE PHOTOS AND VIDEO OF THE DEFECT SO THEY CAN'T EVEN TRY AND SAY I'M MAKING IT UP.
TAKATA RECALL- WHEN BRAKING PR PUMPING THE BRAKES THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE, THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL ON FLAT ROADS OR HILLS. THERE IS A CREAKING NOISE WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE AFTER PUTTING CAR FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR REVERSE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE SPEED SUDDENLY REDUCED TO APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WAS TURNED OFF AND THE GAS MOTOR DID NOT IMMEDIATELY TURN START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (KIRBY KIA OF VENTURA, 6424 AUTO CENTER DR, VENTURA, CA). BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,500. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER (GALPIN KIA, 8425 SEPULVEDA BLVD, NORTH HILLS, CA 91343), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V161000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO WAIT FOR A DIAGNOSIS FROM THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 143.
THE VEHICLE IS GETTING STUCK ON ELECTRIC MODE AND NOT SWITCHING OVER TO GAS AND LOSING POWER. HAVING TO PULL OVER AND TURN CAR OFF AND BACK ON THE RESET IT. CAR ONLY HAS 2500 MILES. TAKING BACK TO DEALER ASAP. WAS DRIVING ON MAJOR INTERSTATE 70 MPH ERROR MESSAGE FROM CAR SAID TRANSMISSION ERROR SERVICE IMMEDIATELY
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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